Stoke City to take David James on loan as Portsmouth wait for transfer embargo verdict

Portsmouth goalkeeper David James is said to be poised to join Stoke City as
he seeks to keep his World Cup hopes alive.

Loan star: Stoke City will hand David James a route out of Portsmouth as the goalkeeper bids to cement his England World Cup positionPhoto: GETTY IMAGES

7:43AM GMT 14 Jan 2010

James is anxious to re-establish himself as England’s first choice goalkeeper and knows he must be playing first team football to do that.

The 39-year-old looks set to join Stoke on loan for the rest of the season, which would help cash-strapped Portsmouth by taking him off their wage bill.

The Fratton Park club, meanwhile, will have to wait until today at the earliest to discover if the transfer embargo imposed by the Premier League because of the club’s outstanding debts is to be lifted.

Portsmouth, who will also dispute a Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs winding up order this week, have urged the Premier League to lift the ban after presenting fresh financial information to chief executive Richard Scudamore on Tuesday, but hopes of a decision yesterday came to nothing.

The Premier League is still considering the information presented by club executive director Mark Jacob and Ahmed Al-Faraj, brother of owner Ali Al-Faraj, and will continue to check its veracity today.